Discussing the twists and turns of life and the lessons we learn along the way.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Controversial For Christians

I have been conflicted all day about what to write. Then I read a story about a woman who committed suicide after battling MS for forty years. My mind went back to when I had a similar conversation with my sister a couple of months before cancer took her life.

My sister felt that anyone who took their own life committed the unpardonable sin and would not be allowed into heaven. I do not believe that. I asked my sister why she believed the way she did and she replied, "How can you ask God to forgive you if you are already dead?" My reply was that He had already forgiven you. She asked, "When?" I said "when he died on the cross all your sins were in the future. You couldn't ask him for forgiveness then. And when you asked him to save you and forgive your sins, He forgave the past, present, and future sins."

The question has come up "Can a true Christian take his own life?" Let's divide that question in two and examine it. "Can a true Christian..." First I'm not going to judge anyone's relationship with Christ. We could ask a lot of questions about 'true Christians' if we wanted, but that's very dangerous ground. No one knows another person's heart. I can testify to that because I lived as a 'Christian' for years before I actually trusted Christ as my savior. Many people thought I was saved, but I knew my heart.

The next part of the equation is "take his own life." I can't judge anyone for taking their own life. I can't measure their pain. I don't know their pain tolerance or their outlook for the future. How bad is their pain level? How long have they been suffering? What is required to manage their pain? Will their pain end? What are their options?

I'm not saying that I believe in suicide. I am saying that I do not judge anyone who chooses to end their pain. I also do not believe that God is unable to forgive the person. I choose to allow God to do the judging, forgiving, and saving.

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